WWMB — Delena Stout

Responsibilities: Leads natural pet food supply and bath stores, working at the three branches in Brookside, Lee’s Summit and Olathe; handles education of employees on natural foods and animal health.

Key accomplishment: “My key accomplishment is seeing the animals come back healthier and happier,” Stout said. “I am so proud that we have created a place where our customers can come in and feel that we’re really listening to them. We’re not just here to take their money. We’re really here to listen.”

Biggest obstacle: Stout said that finding qualified staff for her store was hard because she isn’t willing to hire someone who isn’t skilled or passionate about the animals.

“The staff is what distinguishes us from other pet food stores,” she said. “They do care, and we educate them as much as we can.”

Angela Bridges, assistant manager at the Brookside store, has worked there for more than three years and appreciates how much the staff loves animals and one another.

“We’re like a family,” Bridges said.

And Stout’s devotion to the animals is prominent, she said.

“Her drive and her passion just makes you fall in love with the place, and you know that she just cares so much about the animals,” Bridges said.

Community service: “Giving back to the community is a very, very big thing for us,” Stout said. “I come from a very, very poor background, and to give back is just phenomenal. We have a fundraiser going every single day in every single store.”

Community service ranges from raising money to help Phoenix, the Kansas City black lab whose owner burned it, to holding adoption drives for local shelters at the stores.

Future goal: Stout expanded her Brookside location last year to include the space of the empty shop next door. This year, she worked on her Olathe location, and if business continues to go well in Lee’s Summit, it is next on the list. She wants to be careful, though, with future expansion.

“I don’t want to go in over my head,” Stout said. “One of the worst things a business can do is expand too fast, and then it affects the rest of the performance of all the other stores.”